As A Family
by Venka le fay
Summary: A moment I wish was included in Back to the Sewers. *One Shot*


As A Family

by Venka Le Fay

**I wish I owned TMNT, but obviously I don't. Please enjoy this fic and support the official release. **

Donatello could feel a pounding in his head. He had been up for nearly two weeks without rest as he continued to look for Master Splinter's data bits. His light brown eyes magnetically glued to the screen of the computer.

"Don…" April asked as she put a hand on his shoulder. Don didn't acknowledge her something that emotionally hurt his dearest human friend. He knew his family was worried about him and they wanted to help. But he didn't need or want help from any of his brothers or anyone else's. It was his fault that he had failed to realize viral was still in Serlings mainframe and it was his fault that Splinter had been vaporized. The others didn't understand, he had caused this mess and he was going to fix it.

"Don, you need rest." April said gently.

"I can't April." He said trying not to sound harsh. "Master Splinter needs me. It's my fault that he's trapped in cyber space."

"The others don't blame you for this Don," April tried to reassure him. "And Master Splinter wouldn't want you to do this to yourself either."

"HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT MASTER SPLINTER WANTS?!" Donatello's snapped, but immediately regretted it as tears sprang to the human woman's eyes. "April…I…"

"Don't say it, Donatello." The red head stated, she didn't hold any anger in her voice. But there was a deep sadness, sadness and disappointment as she started to walk away from him and from the lair. "Just let me know when you are ready to be the sweet hearted turtle I once knew."

The purple masked turtle watched he leave feeling a pang of sadness as he felt he just lost another loved one.

* * *

"Geeze, what did Donnie-boy say to April?" Casey demanded of Raph over the shell-phone. "She said she was going to the lair to help him find Splinter, and then she returns in tears saying she'll talk to him when he decides to quit acting like a brat."

Raph growled in disgust and frustration. "I'm sure he didn't mean it whatever it was. You know Don…He's going through a tough time right now. And when he gets fixated on something he doesn't sleep..."

"He doesn't eat either." Mikey added.

"And sometimes when that happens he can end up sounding like a jerk." Raph continued.

"Well tell Donnie he can't go yelling at my girl, okay." Casey threatened. "The next time he snaps at April, so help me I will personally walk to the lair and put him in a coma."

"Don't worry Casey, I'll handle it." Raph growled as he shut his shell phone.

"I guess patrols over?" Mikey said.

"You got that right." Raph said. "I need to teach our favorite genius a little lesson in humility."

"Don't be too harsh with him Raph." Leo cautioned. "He's already suffering enough as it is."

"Oh don't worry." Raph answered as he cracked his knuckles.

* * *

The purple masked terrapin didn't look up or speak to his brothers as they entered the lair. However he did let out a gasp of surprise when Raphael suddenly grabbed him and hoisted him over his shoulder like a sack of flour and started walking in the direction of the showers.

"What are you doing?!" Donatello yelled his older brother indignantly as he tried to squirm out of his older brother's grasp. "Put me down, Raphael!"

"You yell at April… At April!" Raph snarled dangerously. "And you expect me to be nice and just let you get away with it?! I don't think so, Donnie-boy." Unceremoniously Raph dumped his younger brother under one of the shower heads and turned on the knob to the cold water causing the younger turtle to let out a cry of shock as he attempted to turn off the water. Raph however responded by pinning Donnie's arms over his head with one sai.

"Sorry kiddo," Raph smirked in self-satisfaction at the dark look Donatello threw his way. "You are staying there until you cool off." Donatello let out an angry sounding string of Japanese in protest.

"You say that again and I'm washing your mouth out with soap too." Raph shot back as he joined his eldest and youngest brothers in the kitchen and pulled out a pizza box from the fridge only to find it empty.

"Mikey!" Raph snarled. "How many times do I have to tell ya, if you finish a pizza you don't put the empty box back in the fridge?"

"What did you do with Donnie?" Leo asked from where he sat at the table eyeing his brother expectantly. Raph wasn't likely to physically injure their younger brother. But he could take actions that were considered cruel and unusual.

"Oh I just pinned him under a cold shower until he decides to cool his temper a bit." Raph answered as if this wasn't anything serious.

"You what?!" Leo yelled before rushing to the bath. Sure enough he found his normally calm younger brother pinned to the floor. One of Raphael' sai holding both arms over his head so that he was trapped beneath the spray of cold water. At once Leo shut off the shower and pulled up the sai that was trapping the younger turtle in place. Donnie was shivering with cold as Leo gathered him into his arms.

"Leo…" Donatello softly said as he curled his body towards the nearest source of heat.

"It's alright Donnie, I'm right here." Leo softly answered. He was going to have a long talk about the difference between discipline and attempted murder with Raphael later on.

"Oh heavens," The refined and up tight voice of Serling sighed with some aggravation when he saw Leo exit out of the showers carrying Donatello. "Is there any way I can be of assistance?" While the bulky robot didn't particularly regard the turtles with any sort of favor finding their 20th century behavior repugnant and obscene. While he would rather have his circuits fried beyond repair rather than admit it, Serling had grown to hold a sort of liking for Donatello. Even if it was simply because Donatello was the only person in this time period, who understood how to keep him properly maintained and could potentially return him to the year 2105.

"Yes," Leo answered. "Get a blanket."

"Right…" Serling answered. "And would you want the said blanket brought to Donatello's lab or his room?"

"His lab." Leo answered as he half carried half dragged the cold and wet turtle back to the center of the lair where Donnie's lab resided. Placing the younger turtle in the rolling chair just as Serling arrived with a towel and blanket as requested. Leo at once wrapped the thick blanket around his younger brother to help keep him warm.

"Are you okay, Don?" Mikey asked his older brother in concern as he and Raphael approached the lab. Leo's eyes landed hard on Raphael accusingly.

"What were you even thinking Raph?!" The blue masked turtle demanded. "If you don't recall, we are cold blooded and what you just did to Donnie was not only stupid it could have done a lot more damage than we've suffered already." Raph looked crestfallen, it was clear he hadn't meant anything malicious behind it and he was sure if Master Splinter were present he'd get more than an earful from him.

"Hey…Don." Raph said looking at his immediate younger brother, who preferred to look anywhere but at Raphael at that moment. "I know I did a stupid thing to you…and I wouldn't blame you if you hate me right now and I know nothing I say would make up for what I've done. But seriously man, Casey called me and told me you snapped at April. I know you probably didn't mean to, but it really made me mad as shell that you would do that to her, when all she was trying to do was help you. So what I'm trying to say is that we miss the quiet kind hearted genius you once were and we'd really appreciate it if you went back to being the old Donnie once again." Donatello quietly weighed his brother's feelings a moment, before he turned his eyes Raphael's golden brown ones. Donnie's chocolate brown eyes no longer held the warmth they once had; instead they were replaced by a deep loathing. A loathing that was turned inward, a loathing that would not go away until Donnie felt the damage he had caused had been undone.

"I can't." Donnie answered with firm conviction. "I can't go back to the way things were…not until I've returned Master Splinter. I know you guys are concerned, but I caused this and I'm the only one who can fix it. So I can't rest or go back to the way things were until Master Splinter is restored."

* * *

"Could you *not* leave that on the equipment?" Donatello demanded not glancing at his younger brother. Michelangelo had only been trying to be helpful and decided to bring a couple slices of pizza to Donnie's lab so that way the brainiac turtle would at least put their minds at ease and eat something.

"Where exactly do you want me to put it?" Michelangelo asked as he looked about him. The only surfaces available to hold a small plate were equipment, while other more suitable spots were covered in equipment as well as a lot of other technological tools and gizmos. Many of which the turtle in orange couldn't even begin to understand.

"Nowhere…" Donnie stated pragmatically.

"But Don, it's your favorite." Mikey protested. "Ham and Pineapple, you can stop looking for Master Splinters data bits so you can eat something at least."

"I'm sorry Mikey," Donnie responded. "I'm not hungry."

"Right, because you're too busy worrying about Master Splinter to worry about yourself…" Mikey said in disappointment and frustration as he left. "Or care about the rest of us. I feel like I don't even know you anymore, Don! Whatever happened to the Donatello who was my older brother and best friend?!"

Donatello didn't respond or act like he heard Mikey's words. The headache that had been bothering him for the whole day was feeling worse, and his vision of blurred slightly as a wave of weakness passed over him. Shaking his head to clear it, he continued to put himself to work in finding Master Splinters Data bits.

~Damn it Raph,~ The purple masked turtle grumbled to himself. ~I can't afford to be sick and you know it.~

* * *

"Man sometimes…" Mikey grumbled as he threw the slices of pizza he had brought to Donatello in the garbage. "Pain in the shell doesn't even describe him!"

"I take it he didn't want your little peace offering." Raph commented.

"No, he didn't." Mikey answered with a sigh. "He wouldn't even let me leave them anywhere, or step away from what he's doing to even eat a couple bites. I don't know, Raph. I think the Donnie we know and love is gone for good."

"Yeah he's been acting more like Leo." Raph stated. "And that isn't really a good thing if you ask me."

"You mean Leo when he went all wacko and stared sounding more like you." Mikey responded not noticing Leo had entered the kitchen and was listening to the conversation. "That version Leo was scary, and now Don's pulling a 'Leo 2.0.' the only thing scarier is if starts acting like you, Raph."

"He's upset about Master Splinter." Leo commented as he took a seat at the table. "And he feels responsible for what has happened."

"Yeah, we know Don's been beating himself over Master Splinter." Raph answered. "Master Splinter knew what he was doing when he jumped in front of that 'Decompiler Beam'. It was to save us, I'd hate to think what Donnie would be doing now it if it was the three of us who were trapped in cyberspace, or even worse yet if it was us and Master Splinter. 'Cause Donnie sure as shell doesn't stand much of a chance against Cyber Shredder on his own."

"I wish there was more I could do to help him through this." Leo sighed. "I fear if things don't change soon, it may destroy him all together. "

"It seems to me that there is an older brother that Don has always looked up to." Raph answered. "And it sure as shell ain't me."

* * *

Donatello pinched the bridge of his snout trying to ease away the ache in his head that was refusing to go away. It was making it hard to concentrate on the task he had to perform, and off and on he had been feeling weak like he was about to faint.

At that moment he felt a cool hand on his forehead, if he didn't feel so cruddy at that moment he would have pulled the hand away. But the hand resting on his brow felt comforting.

"I was afraid of this." Leo said, there was obvious concern but there wasn't any sternness in his voice.

"I'm fine Leo," Donatello answered. "It's just a small headache."

"No," Leo answered. "It's much worse than that; you've been pushing yourself too hard, Don. You need rest."

"You know I have to find and restore Master Splinter." Donnie answered. "And that only could happen if I push myself to find his data bits. If I don't find them they could be deleted and we'd never get our father back." Leo turned Dontello's swivel chair around so the computer didn't have his full attention. Gently grasping his brother's hands in his own, he knelt and looked Donnie in the face. The past week and a half had not been kind to his brother; dark rings had formed under the purple masked turtles eyes. So much so it was hard to discern them from the mask itself. Hollows had begun forming in his cheeks due to starvation. It's a wonder Donnie hadn't dropped dead out of exhaustion.

"Donnie, look at me." Leonardo gently said drawing Donnie's blood shot brown eyes to his. "Remember when we went to fight our final battle with Utrom Shredder?"

"How could I not?" Donatello answered. "We were all defeated by him. Knowing we couldn't take him on in another fight, we decided to take him out by overloading the energy core of his space ship. But to do so meant we would sacrifice ourselves in the process."

"Exactly," Leo nodded. "But the fact that even had to be an option; that it even had to come to that. That didn't sit well with me and I felt I had failed you all. All of you were counting on me to lead us through that battle, and I felt like we had to resort to that because I wasn't strong enough. As a result I was determined to make it so we never feel we needed to put ourselves into that situation again. I pushed everyone hard during training sessions, and when things weren't to the standards I wanted, I would yell it was because you weren't taking things seriously. Eventually all my anger, doubt, and fear exploded and I hurt Master Splinter as a result. And I'm worried that this situation is causing you to do the same thing I was doing back then."

"How can you say that?!" Donnie asked as he stood up ripping his hands from Leonardo's and putting a hand to head as it continued to pound. It was hurting worse time and he was having trouble focusing his vision. He could feel himself start to sway on his feet. "My situation is different from then! We knew what we were doing and if we were going to die, we would die as a family. But when Master Splinter he…Viral was about to blast you, Raph, and Mikey with the decompiler beam and…"

"DON!" Leo cried out in alarm and caught his younger brother as he suddenly collapsed. "Raph…Mikey!"

"Hey, what's wrong fearless?!" Raph yelled as he ran up with Mikey not far behind. Even Serling's bulky robot frame appeared interested in seeing what the commotion was all about.

"Raph, call April." Leo answered as he gathered an unconscious Donatello into his arms. "Mikey get some ice and a cool towel."

"Here let me help." Serling droned in his usual bored and unimpressed tone. "I do owe you miscreants for your hospitality, since I was forced to follow you to this primitive era of time."

"Fine, can you carry Donnie to his room." Leo asked.

"Certainly sir," Serling droned as he started to carry Donatello in the direction of the dormitories. "And shall I perform a medical diagnostic on him as well?"

"If you can?" Leo answered.

"If I can?!" Serling responded as if insulted. "Remember I've looked after Master Cody when he was but an infant, monitoring his health was only but one of my functions."

* * *

"April and Casey will be here any minute." Raph answered as arrived at Donatello's dorm room. Leo was kneeling next to the bed while Mikey anxiously hovered near by. Serling stood on the other side of the bed reading something off a monitor installed in his wrist cuff. Donatello lay in a restless sleep, a wet washcloth wrapped over a small handful of ice was carefully placed against his forehead.

"According to these readings, Donatello simply fainted due to a migraine and fever." Serling droned as if it was all to be expected. "Most likely caused by exhaustion brought on the lack of sleep and proper nutrition he's been forcing upon himself."

"He's gonna be alright, right?" Mikey asked in concern.

"Of course," Serling answered "Given proper bed rest and possibly encouraged to eat something he should be back to his usual self."

"Don!" April cried as she rushed into the room and took a place at Donatello's bed side. An equally concerned Casey approached the room, but he remained at the door close to Raph.

"So Donnie's sick for reals?" Casey asked.

"Yep." Raph sighed. "The poor brainiac really did a number on himself this time."

"Come now, Cretans and esteemed guest." Serling said as he shuttled Casey, Raph, and Mikey outside the room. "Donatello needs his rest; please do something valuable with your time." April ran a hand along Donatello's face as a tear fell from her eye.

"He'll be alright April," Leo assured her.

"Still it didn't have to come to this." April responded.

"I know." Leo answered. "We've almost lost him once and I vowed not to let that happen again."

"You mean when he…" April started to say, but cut herself off. Donatello and monster did not belong in the same sentence. Leo nodded in response as a pained and haunted look filled his eyes.

"Even now," Leo commented looking at his hands as if they belonged to someone else. "I still have nightmares about that time. Seeing myself having to resort to hurting my own brother, just keep him harming those around him. If I didn't do so then Bishop and his soldiers would kill him, and I truly would have let him down."

"And from what you told me about your travels into the future," April stated. "Donnie becomes a very important figure."

"Yes," Leo answers as a proud smile drifted across his face momentarily. "And I'm sure he will have many great contributions to mankind's future, and who knows maybe we all do as well. But that won't happen if he kills himself trying to restore Master Splinter."

"Why don't I see if I can help find any of Splinter's data bits?" April suggested. "It would certainly help put Donnie's mind at ease to know someone is at least doing that."

* * *

When Donatello woke up he was surprised to find himself in his room. The last thing he remembered was talking with Leo in the lab, when his head really began hurting like shell then suddenly everything turned black. Glancing next to him he saw Leo quietly sleeping in a chair beside the bed. He must have been there for a quite a bit because he had Splinters favorite book on haiku open on his lap.

Using all his skill as a ninja, Donatello carefully got up out of bed without waking his older brother. However just when he was about to stumble his way out of his room he heard someone behind him clearing their throat.

"I believe we were talking." Leo stated as he closed the book.

"What's there to say Leo?" Donatello answered. "You know what I need to do and why."

"Do you think you're the only one who wants Master Splinter back?!" Leo demanded standing up. "Do you honestly believe you are the only one who is suffering with him gone?!"

"I'm the only one who cares enough to do anything about it!" Donnie stated. "The rest of you guys seem more concerned with what's going on in the city."

"That's where you are wrong, Donatello!" Leo stated using his brother's full name to show how serious he was. "We do care about Master Splinter and we'd give anything to have him back. There hasn't been a night where one of us hasn't cried out for Master Splinter in our sleep or felt the weight his absence had left on this family. But crime in the city isn't going to take a back seat while we try to find Splinter and with the foot starting to come back into power along with Cyber Shredder haunting the internet. We can't afford to distract ourselves from what truly needs to be done."

Leo cautiously approached the purple masked turtle the way one would approach a frightened animal. When Donatello was stressed he tended to lash out verbally, but occasionally…especially when backed into an emotional corner he could get rather physical.

"As for doing nothing about it," Leo continued. "We have wanted to help, even April and Casey have been trying to help. Why do you think, Raph, Mikey, and I follow you into cyber space? Why do you think the three of us go out on patrol so you can concentrate? Why do you think…why do you think we're so worried about you? In the past week or so since we returned from the future, you haven't slept, you've hardly eaten, when we offer to help, you push us away. So please don't act like you're the only one doing anything about it. We want to help, but you have to let us."

"It's not that simple Leo," Donatello stated. "I'm the only one who can find and restore Master Splinter."

"When Master Splinter vanished that 'Decompiler Beam' was aimed at Mikey, Raph, and myself, right?" Leo countered, and noting the way Donatello's brown eyes took on an almost haunted look to know this was so. Leo was close enough to the younger turtle to put hands on his brother's shoulders. "Splinter heard you trying to warn us that we were in danger, and he sacrificed himself to save us to save us that danger." Donatello's eyed drifted away from Leo's sadly as the painful memory of that event came to his mind.

* * *

_*Flash back* _

_He watched in horror as Viral aimed Serling's blast cannon at his brothers. One didn't need to be a genius with an IQ of 637 to know the intent of this. The evil sentient computer virus wanted him to suffer the greatest of punishments for outwitting her, and no better way than to take away those who mattered to him most…his family. She had only one possible shot so who better to aim at but his three brothers. And with Viral in control of Serling, he couldn't do anything to help. He could only watch as his family would be scattered across the far reaches of cyber space. _

_"No, the 'Decompiler'!" Donatello stated more to himself than anyone else. "Inside the time stream we're nothing more than temporal data flows. We'd be scattered to bits!"_

_"Correct!" Viral smugly answered. "Or did you not calculate for that!"_

_"Guys! Get out of the way!" Donatello screamed to his brothers and pounded on the glass dome of the Serling's X mode form. But he was too far behind his brothers for them to hear him. Whether Splinter heard him or sensed the danger or both Donatello wasn't sure. But Splinter glanced behind him and realized who the 'Decompiler' was aiming for; if he warned them he could still lose at least one of his son's. And yet to protect them from any harm, he did the only thing any loving parent would do for their children. _

_For Donatello everything seemed to move in slow motion as the 'Decompiler Beam' went off and Splinter threw himself in front of it. Taking the blast full force and shattering into hundreds of nanobites. His brothers crying out their fathers name in shock and confusion as they finally left the time portal into their subterranean home. It was all a nightmare and at the same time all too real. The one thing thought that filled his mind he exited the time stream…"I caused this…It's all my fault!" _

_*End Flash Back*_

* * *

Tears brimmed in Donatello's eyes at the memory. He felt Leo's firm yet gentle hands move from his shoulders to cup his face so their eyes met. Leo's dark greyish brown eyes held no anger or accusation. Instead they held a grief that could only be conceived by great loss, tiredness from having to look after this family on his own, and understanding…an understanding brought on by one who had faced this trial before.

"Donnie, I want Master Splinter back as much as you do…we all do." Leo said. "And if there was a way to bring him back, I would do it…but not if it costs me the life of any of my brothers." Donatello didn't say anything in response; he reached up and grabbing hold of his brother's wrists and gave them a gentle squeeze.

"We almost lost you once Don," Leo continued his eyes taking on a guilty look. "I almost lost you once. And I don't want to think what you would have to go through if Viral had succeeded in hitting Raph, Mikey, and me with the 'Decompiler Beam' Or worse yet, if she hit all of us. You shouldn't have to suffer through all this alone Donnie, we're a family and we look out for each other…no matter what."

A tear broke loose from Donatello's right eye, and slowly descended down Donatello's face. Until it met its demise as Leo brushed it away with his thumb, leaving nothing but a fading wet smear to mark its passing. Leo calmly pressed his forehead against his brother's.

"I'm so scared Leo," Donnie said, his voice just a raspy sob. "I didn't…I should have…"

"You're worried that we'll never see him again." Leo translated. Donnie nodded in response.

"I'm worried about that too." Leo answered as he pulled his younger brother close and moved so they were sitting on the bed together. "When we first met him he had lived a full rats life, and he has been a father to us for nearly twenty years. But we aren't children anymore, we're adults now Don. And there would eventually come a time when he would leave us for good. That time isn't now, far from it. But it's also time we started to learn to live life without him, so that when that day does come…we'd be ready to take on the world on our own."

Donatello leaned his head against his brothers plastron, letting the tears come. He was just so tired, tired of fighting his grief, tired of being afraid, tired of being alone. His eldest brother just held him and comforted him as he broke down.

"It's okay Otouto-chan," Leo softly whispered as he gently stroked his brother's shell. "Everything will be okay, I promise. I'm right here." They remained like that for what felt like hours until Donatello's sobs became more of a hiccup.

"I should continue trying to find Master Splinter." Donatello answered still clearly exhausted, but not as emotionally unstable as he once had been.

"April has it covered." Leo answered, as he let go of the younger turtle. "And Serling was helping her last I checked."

"But they don't." Don started to protest.

"Don't worry, Don." Leo smiled comfortingly. "If they find something they will be sure to let us know, and let you know as well. But if it will put you at ease, I'll go check on them. I need to make a run to the kitchen anyway." Donatello's stomach grumbled in response reminding him that it had been surviving on nothing but coffee for the past week or so. And while the thought of food did make him hungry, it also made him feel slightly queasy as well.

"I don't know if I can eat a pizza," Don answered. "At least I don't think I can at this moment."

"I thought that would be the case, so I had Mikey make some…some miso soup." Leo answered his eyes turning down cast. Remembering how Master Splinter would make Miso soup for them whenever they were sick. Even though Mikey was using Master Splinter's recipe, it just wasn't the same. In fact nothing would feel the same until Splinter was whole and a part of their lives once more. Donatello reached out and grasped his brother's hand in understanding.

"At least it's better than, Omatranian mildew." Donatello quipped earning a small smile from Leo.

"I'll be back in a moment." Leo stated and left the room.

* * *

"Leo…" April gasped as she noticed the blue masked turtle walk jump down from the dormitories landing. "How's Don doing?"

"He woke up about…" Leo glanced at the clock. "About an hour ago, and I believe he's going to be okay, given some rest."

"That's good." April smiled. "It'll be a relief to have Don back to normal."

"Any luck finding any of Master Splinter's data bits?" Leo asked curiously.

"I believe so, there are some located in the log files for the Darling Flower Shop on 5th and Lex." April said. "I don't think they are in any danger, but if Don's up to for it I can send you guys into cyberspace right now. Serling's also checked to see if the Shredder is waiting for you, but he's not.

"I don't think Don's in any condition for that…at least not tonight." Leo answered feeling drained from comforting Donatello moments before. "But keep tabs on them, because when were ready we're going for them."

"Right," April answered.

* * *

Donatello lay against his pillows trying to get some rest. He had overheard the conversation Leo had with April down stairs. He was glad to know that she was able to find some of Master Splinter's data bits, and even more glad she was helping him…or rather them in their search for Master Splinter. But he also agreed with Leo, he wasn't in any condition to go racing around cyberspace whether they encountered the Shredder or not. At least not that very night, even though it would have been great to get those bits back.

Feeling cold he had climbed under the covers of his bed, but even the warmth of the blankets didn't seem to ward off the chill. His mind wandering back to the two lairs they had lived in previously, the first lair they had lived in most of their lives. Sleeping close to his brothers had been a comfort to him, he never felt scared or alone so long as he knew his brothers were by his side. Then their second lair, the lair they had lived in for a small number of years. That lair was large enough for them to have their spaces. Unfortunately not all of them got their own rooms, not that Don minded. He and Leo were fine living in the same room, and just hearing his eldest brother snoring in the lower bunk was comforting. It was this lair that all of them were able to have their own space. The rooms were smaller than they once were, but they each had ability to do what he wanted without considering to how they would be bothering of anyone else.

But yet, he never truly realized how he missed sharing a room with his older brother until now. Even though his brother was no further than the next room, it still felt like he was farther away than that. Wrapping himself in the covers, Donnie curled into a ball and closed his eyes.

Just as he was falling into the embrace of sleep he heard the click of a plastic bowl being placed on the bed side table. And felt a gentle hand being placed on his hairless scalp, he opened his eyes and found Leo looking back at him with concern.

"Are you okay?" Leo asked.

"Just…lonely I guess." Donatello answered.

"Why don't I stay with you tonight…" Leo offered. "At least until you fall asleep." Donatello gave a small appreciative smile as he moved over and allowed enough room for Leo to sit down on the bed. Managing to sit up enough so that he could at sip the small bowl of soup that Leo had brought him.

"April said that she was able to find…" Leo started to say.

"Some of Master Splinter's data bits." Donatello finished.

"So you over heard that." Leo answered. "If you want to go retrieve them, we can go tonight. That is if you feel you can." Donatello sat quietly as if in thought.

"I would like to retrieve them as soon as possible." Donatello answered. "But I don't think I'm able to tonight."

"And we will Don," Leo said putting one hand on his brother's shoulder. "We'll get them back together…as a family." Don responded by placing his hand that rested on his shoulder.

"As a family." He echoed.


End file.
